


Gold

by accioserotonin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Character Death, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:48:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26626204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accioserotonin/pseuds/accioserotonin
Summary: Nothing gold can stay.Soulmate!AU Fred Weasley/Reader
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Angst, Character Death

Ancient magic, it must be. There was no other explanation for the string of digits that appear on a person’s wrist the minute they turn seventeen. A mystery of the universe, but a beautiful one. No need to wonder when you would encounter your other half, the shiny golden numbers on your wrist were happy to tell you, to let you know what lay just around the bend for you. Love was real, fate was real, happy endings were real.

Except not always.

Nothing gold can stay, as they say.

Which is why, after the briefest moment of bliss, finally faced with one’s forever, the gold numbers burn bright, bloody, scarlet. Another countdown. Except this one does not speak to bliss, to love, to happy endings. It speaks to doom, departure, despair. Some unlucky souls skipped right over gold, greeted on their seventeenth birthday with only four bloody zeros. Their twin flames forever lost to time. Most were lucky, however, the promise of decades stretching before them, a blessing of scarlet on their skin. 

= = =

A distant Aunt had once read your tea leaves, foretelling great heart ache in your future, so it was with incredible apprehension that you had breached your seventeenth year. These fears proved unfounded, however, when beautiful golden numbers took root on your wrist. The relief you felt in that moment, the ability to breath again, had nearly been enough to edge your disappointment at the amount of time left until you were finally able to meet your soul mate, just over two years.

The world soon fell into chaos in such a manner that your soul mate seemed of little consequence, though you couldn’t help but lay awake most nights wondering if things wouldn’t have been just a might more bearable if they’d been there next to you. Things certainly wouldn’t have been easier, but at least you could take refuge in the cradle of their arms. So, you traced the slowly dwindling numbers absentmindedly and thought of the future to come, the future you and so many others were fighting for; took comfort in imagining the day when you could finally wrap them in your arms, study their face, memorize their laugh. 

= = =

Hogwarts was a frenzy of fire and fury. Around every corner fighting, curses, death. Voldemort’s followers had managed to penetrate the castles hallowed halls, reigning chaos down upon every inhabitant. You fought as hard as you could, lungs burning, arms aching. No matter how long ago you’d left its halls it was your home, it would always be your home, and you would be damned if you did not defend it with everything in you. Given the circumstances it seemed a silly thing to notice now, but you were hyper aware of the golden numbers on your skin steadily ticking down, seemingly gathering speed at every passing second. How ridiculous to finally be meeting your soul mate in the middle of a battle, but perhaps that was more poetic, a reminder of the good things worth fighter for. 

Where it seemed for so long the years would never pass, the final hours seemed to have flown by, until you were clinging to mere minutes, and finally, seconds. 

5

4

3

2

1

You rounded a corner, heart leaping into your throat at the sight of him. Finally.  
Every cell in your body lit up being in such close proximity to him, your one, your person. He was in the midst of a duel, and you yourself should have stayed on the alert, but you were finding it impossibly hard to concentrate.

Everything had been hell, absolute hell. The world didn’t make sense anymore, and you had, had to deal with so much loss but finally- finally you were faced with a little piece of refuge. Your eyes sought to memorize all that you could about him, about the moment; the fluidity of his movements, the mess of ginger hair atop his head, the sound of his voice ringing through the hall.

His head turned to call out to the man nearest him, another ginger, and you mindlessly reached out your arm hoping to catch his eye, utterly transfixed, mesmerized by finally hearing his voice, basking in his laughter. It wasn’t until your arm was fully extended, wrist exposed, that you realized with absolute horror the glimmering gold numbers on your skin had been replaced with flickering scarlet, the numbers already dropping dangerously close to zero.

Your mind stalled, unable to process what was occurring until-

5

4

3

2

1

NO!

The world exploded around you, despair. 

The sound of his laughter still rang in your ears, as perfect as you’d dared to dream it, the ghost of it reflected forever in the smile still present on his face. You had waited so long to see that smile and hear that laugh, and you knew, just as you’d always known, you would never be able to forget it.

**Author's Note:**

> Request from tumblr: Soulmate AU with Fred where you have a clock that counts down to the time where you lose/find your soulmate. But you only know it’s them when it’s too late. Lol angst  
> I'm on there @acciobraincell, if anyone wants to come hang out; I post headcanons, imagines, and the like. Feedback never expected, but very much appreciated! Cheers! xx


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